The Highwaywolf
by ikariss
Summary: one-shot song fic to Alfred Noyes' "The Highwayman."


Wow this is the second new fic I've started this week, and I haven't even finished my first! T.T Well I was inspired to write this song ficlet because while I Was working on my other WR fic, Red Moon, I kept listening to the Loreena McKennitt CD. Long story short, I decided Alfred Noyes' "The Highwayman" (Loreena McKennitt's song version) would make a good Hige x Blue fic. Next thing I knew, I was writing it!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain, or Alfred Noyes' "The Highwayman," or even Loreena McKennitt's song version---there are you happy!!? (cries because she owns nothing)  
  
Warnings: I really shouldn't have to put this because this is a songfic about "The Highwayman," but character death. Yes it made me sad too, but there was absolutely no way around it.  
  
--song--easy enough to remember?  
  
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--The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gust trees. The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon the cloudy seas. The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor. And the highwayman came riding, riding, riding. The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door--  
  
The black night shone starless with a few gray clouds caressing the light of the full golden moon. Soft whistles of the dancing wind through bare tree tops was the only disturbance piercing the tranquil night, except for the low melodic panting of one lone wolf.  
  
The husky brown wolf stopped his quickening pace to sniff the cold midnight air. "Blue," he whispered to himself, filling the air with the soul of his warm breath. "I'm coming," he stated, his voice strengthening to a slight quiver before once more taking off to the dark silhouette of shadows cast upon the smooth road.  
  
He knew it wasn't his fault, blame could be left on no one. But that day, the happenings that took place, would haunt his dreams forever. Why had she cared so much for that drunkard Quent, her pops? What had he done for her? Used her as a dog, a tool for capturing the wolves he had loathed through most of his somber adult life. So why, when he was to be lost forever under one lonesome bullet from the hands of Darcia, had she intervened? Causing her capture, possibly her torture, under the insane man's vicious hands.  
  
Though he knew, if put in her position, he would've done the same. Had it been her and not Quent in danger, he would've spared his life so that she may continue living.  
  
His pounding thoughts were cast from his weary head as his pacing footsteps arrived at the foot of the foreboding shadows cast by Darcia's malicious aircraft.  
  
--Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn yard. And he tapped with his whips on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there? But the landlord's black-eyed daughter. Bess, the landlord's daughter. Plaiting a dark-red love-knot into her long black hair--  
  
-- "One kiss my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize tonight. But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day. Then look for me by the moonlight,Watch for me by the moonlight,I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell should bar the way."--  
  
Hige rose his heavy head to the craft above, disheartened by the numbers of windows embacing the bitter metal face. "Its the only chance I have," Hige whispered through his cold, chapped lips before releasing a quick harmonious howl to settle upon the silent night.  
  
His heavy heart pounded against his delicate chest as he galloped, muscles tense, to see if the howls had touched the ears of his loved one. Glossy maroon eyes glared to the ship in horror till the sight he had anticipated swept a thin smile across his haggard face.  
  
Blue's soft profile sent gentle shadows across the moonlit ground, caressing the worn face of her lover. "Hige," she whispered before frantically turning her head to the door separating her from Darcia's evil minions. She thrust a pale, soft hand into the winter's cold wind, many stories above her lover's head, imagining the warm hands of Hige embracing it in his own welcome palms.  
  
"This isn't going to work, you can't even reach me!" Blue bellowed through her clenched throat, fearing what may happen if Hige's presence went noticed.  
  
Hige nodded his wolven head in agreement, reaching Blue would be an impossible task, his only choice was to find something to assist him in the seemingly unfeasible rescue. "Ok, I'll come back tomorrow!" He yelled, panting heavily from running alongside the evil ship's side.  
  
Slowly Blue nodded her head, marking the acknowledgement of the russet-wolf's voice. "Just don't stop for food!" She tittered, giddy from the anticipation of tomorrow's meeting.  
  
--He rose upright in his stirrups; he scarce could reach her handbut she loosened her hair in the casement! His face burnt like a brandAs the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast; and he kissed it's waves in the moonlight, (O sweet black waves in the moonlight!)Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West--  
  
Hige's soft eyes held their upward view as he swiftly memorized every fine detail of Blue's captivating face. He smiled, remembering the days when her touch was not such a far off thing. "I promise, it may be hard, but no food," he laughed back, brightening her pale blue eyes.  
  
With one last gentle nod he ran west to the crimson, bright sun rising into the bitter night sky. blue's thin eyebrows lowered in desperation as she watched Hige's running profile. Never had she felt so helpless, this was a feeling she wished to never experience again.  
  
--He did not come at the dawning; He did not come at noon. And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon. When the road was gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor. And a red coat troop came marching, marching, marching. King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door--  
  
--They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,but the gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;Two of them knelt at the casement, with muskets at their sides!There was death at every window,and hell at one dark window;For Bess could see through the casement, the road that he would ride--  
  
Blue held desperately to the window, searching eyes captivated by the long gravel road to the West. Slowly, the cloudy gray sky was spilled with the rich scarlet of dusk. As silence drummed her thirsty ears a swift clack drew her insipid eyes to attention.  
  
"You seem pretty fond of that window," Once of Darcia's minions laughed as he stumbled through the heavy doorway. "Your pretty eyes won't have much longer to peer through it." He brought his thick face mere inches from her soft nose, sending sickly fumes of liquor from his derisive mouth.  
  
Blue's soft eyes dropped in anger, she swiftly fell to her true form as her sharp teeth closed around his bony hand.  
  
"Dumb mutt!" The drunk man swooned in anger, sending beating fists into Blue's delicate back. The fracas of soft wolf growls and inebriated shrieks carried through the cold, echoing walls till the thin clang of feet upon metal joined it.  
  
"What's going on here, Lucas?" A grating, deep voice sounded from the leaden, ominous door.  
  
"This dumb dog bit me!" The drunk man staggered to kick Blue's profile, only to fall once more to his bony knees.  
  
The second man walked briskly to Blue's side, ignoring the writhing pain pulsating through his friend's arm. "If you're going to cause trouble you're going to pay." He sneered, puling bitter metal chains from his dark jacket pocket. "Lucas give me your gun," he commanded, once more turning his attention to his intoxicated companion. His demand went unnoticed as the drunk man continued to cuddle his bleeding hand. Scoffing, the evil man rose to his feet, traipsing across the room he tore the gun from his wounded man's belt.  
  
Blue shook in anger, ready to attack the second man daring to insult her strong nature. Though the need to brutally bight his leg waved through her body and fear took it's place. "Hige," she whispered lightly under her breath as she changed once more to her false image to peer form the small glass window.  
  
"and what do you think you're doing?" The brutal man asked, slightly stunned from seeing a woman where a wolf once stood. "Is there something important out that window?" He jeered, pulling the pistol's mouth toward her pale face.  
  
She refused to speak, for fear that she release the whereabouts of her companion. Instead she lowered her eyebrows in anger as a low growl settled into her tense throat.  
  
"More beast than human, aren't you?" The vicious man smiled a deep malicious grin. "And you know what we do with animals," he taunted. Holding the gun to Blue's soft head he grasped his covetous hand around her arm and threw her to the narrow, dirty bed. He let the thin chains dangle tauntingly in front of her angered face before quickly wrapping them around her body and the gun, now fastened to the apple of her delicate chest.  
  
He stepped back from her quivering body, after placing a lock to the bitter chains which would hold her captive. "Lucas, find two men to guard this window," his evil eyes slowly fell to Blue's soft gaze. "Tell them if they see anyone from this window, to shoot them."  
  
--They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;They had bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!"Now keep good watch!" And they kissed her. She heard the dead man say-Look up for my the moonlight, watch for me by the moonlight. I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell should bar the way!--  
  
--She twisted her hands behind her, but all the knots held good!She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!They stretched and strained in the darkness and the hours crawled by like years!Till now, on the stroke of midnight,cold, on the stroke of midnight,The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!--  
  
Blue's heart pounded heavily against her breast. I've got to warn him, her thoughts swarmed angrily. She writhed her tender wrists in anger, pushing to have the use of her hands. She never ceased her motions, even as her wrists stung with raw skin and blood fell like ribbons from her tender palms. The force of her objective was stronger, and it numbed her to the pain.  
  
The hours passed slowly as she wriggled her hands, ignoring the malicious scoffs from the armed minions now guarding the foggy window. Till finally her intention was met as one warm finger caressed the cold metal of the gun's trigger.  
  
--Tlot-Tlot! Had they heard it? The horse hoofs were ringing clear. Tlot-Tlot in the distance! Were they deaf they did not hear?Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,the highwayman came riding,riding, riding!The Red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up straight and still!--  
  
--Tlot, in the frost silence! Tlot, in the echoing night!Nearer her came and nearer! Her face was like a light!Her eyes grew wide for a moment! She drew one last deep breath,then her finger moved in the moonlight,the musket shattered the moonlight,shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him with her death.--  
  
The foreboding moonlight shone through the cracked window, sending shafts of its warm light across Blue's soft face. Her eyes were calm, having acquired the means to save her lover. Despite her tranquil face her heart jumped to motion as the soft scuff of pad on gravel kissed her haggard ears.  
  
She jerked her head to the men, now playing cards having grown weary of staring through the tiny window. How had they not heard the pacing feet, were they deaf? She sighed to herself, whether they heard it or not didn't matter. Hige would hear her warning through the cold winter's night and a find a safer course to take.  
  
With one final lingering breath her trembling finger pulled the pistol's malicious trigger. One last and final time sparing her life so her loved ones may live.  
  
--He turned, he spurred to the West; He did not know she stood. Bowed with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!Not till the dawn he heard it; His face grew gray to hear. How Bess, the landlord's daughter. The landlord's back-eyed daughter,had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there--  
  
--Back he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky. With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!Blood-red were the spurs i' the golden noon; Wine-red was his velvet coat,when they shot him down on the highway,down like a dog on the highway,and he lay in his blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.--  
  
Hige panted to himself as he slowly made his way back to Blue's side. His gait was slower, now burdened with the weight of a rope ladder he had been lucky enough to find in a street market. The golden shafts of light falling from the full moon guided him till he was yards from the dark ship's shadows.  
  
"I'm almost there." He panted, hoping his soothing words would reach the ears of his lover. His glistening claret eyes laid focused to the aircraft ahead, till they were suddenly closed in grief. Out of the silent night's throat rang the sound of a thirst bullet.  
  
Words weren't needed, Hige knew where the disturbance had come from. Visions of Blue draped in robes of her own crimson blood danced through his head as he sprinted to his destination. Where once he had approached in delight, he now made his way for revenge.  
  
Long monotonous howl escaped his wolven lips, he no longer was concerned of being caught. His lover's touch was the only thing worth living for, and now she was gone. Paradise became a distant memory, for a paradise could not he found where she was not.  
  
His grim wish was answered as a barricade of troops stormed from the ship's now open door. Hige bared his sharp white teeth, digging them into the pallid flesh devouring him in a shower of bullets.  
  
--Still of a winter's night ,they say, when the wind is in the trees,when the moon is a ghostly galleon, tossed upon the cloudy seas,when the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,a highwayman comes riding,riding, riding,A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.--  
  
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Whew, ok so that is my first attempt at a song fic. It looks easy until you actually write one! I hope you guys liked it, yes it was sad but like I said it is "The Highwayman." Sorry it turned kinda OOC, it was hard to get them exactly right in this kind of setting.  
  
For any critics out there, yes your suspicions are correct; I did skip a stanza. The only reason it was lef tout was because it talked of the highwayman's clothing which had absolutely no significance in this fic!  
  
Please R&R, I could really use some support!! and if you like this fic please take time to read my other, Red Moon. Thank you : ) 


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